Museu Blau - Natural Science Museum

Opened in 2011, the museum takes visitors on an exciting journey through time - from the creation of the world to today's life on earth. It is housed in a unique building erected by the star architects Herzog & de Meuron. The Museu Blau - or "Blue Museum" in English - is located in the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona's newly redesigned Diagonal Mar district. Numerous exhibits explain the evolution, richness of species and variety of the nature of our planet. Everything is well prepared - for children as well as for adults.

Our recommendation for the Museu Blau

• With our Cultural Triathlon Tour you come to the port feeder at the Parc del Fòrum
• The next stop of the Bus Turístic is just a few steps from the museum
• Our Poblenou Bike Tour also takes you near the museum
• Free admission with the Barcelona Card

The exhibition of the Museu Blau

It starts with a bang - the big bang: On a big screen in world globe format, visitors can follow how the universe came into being, how the earth has developed, and how continents and oceans will look like in the future. Highly recommended is the short film "What do we know about the earth?" (in English) explaining the research findings of scientists such as Copernicus and Darwin.

Then the actual tour begins, which leads through a kind of time tunnel - thanks to the dim lighting and the insulated acoustics, one actually has the feeling of being immersed in the past. Partly millions of years old rocks and fossils make the wonders of the world palpable here. For each important period of Earth's development, you can use touchscreens to retrieve more interesting information about the different epochs or specific exhibits.

The next section shows our current flora and fauna on more than 4,500 exhibits - from the tiny microbe to proud (naturally stuffed) lions to sparkling minerals. In the middle there are also small learning islands on different topics. In one of them on the subject of evolution is a replica of "Lucy" to see - the well-known skeleton of a prehuman "Australopithecus afarensis", which was found in 1974 in Ethiopia. It is dated to about 3.2 million years.
Another learning island is about the climatic conditions of the Mediterranean, where Barcelona is located. Everything is very exciting and prepared for families. Incidentally, the exhibition also illustrates the responsibility we bear for the environment and nature.

Extra tip: After the visit, it is worth exploring the Parc del Fòrum outside. The former industrial area is today a large event area, including an adventure course for families. In addition, there are only a few steps to the beach promenade: If you like, you can walk from here along the water even to the very center of Barcelona (about 4 kilometers).

History of the Natural Science Museum in Barcelona

In 1878, the naturalist Francesc Martorell i Peña left his extensive collection of exhibits to the city - laying the foundation stone for the Association of Natural Science Museums in Barcelona, ​​which nowadays has more than 3 million (!) exhibits. In addition to the "Museu Blau" also belong to the association the Botanical Garden on the mountain Montjuïc as well as the Museum Matorell and the Laboratori de Natura in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The impressive Museu Blau building was built in 2004 by the star architects Herzog & de Meuron. Due to the proximity to the sea and as an allusion to the earth as a "blue planet" it was deliberately dedicated to the color blue. Several atriums with mirrors provide constantly changing color plays depending upon sunshine. The museum was opened in 2011.

Why visit the Museu Blau is worthwhile

Even from the outside, the unique, striking building in Barcelona is worth a visit. Inside, the museum lets visitors immerse themselves in the fascinating evolutionary history of the earth. It illustrates the richness of nature with its numerous impressive exhibits - informatively prepared for the whole family. On the exciting tour you will be amazed in many places and become aware of how diverse life on our planet is. Thus, the exhibition also enhances our appreciation of the most important wonder of the world - the world itself.